Foldable advertising literature display rack

ABSTRACT

A foldable display rack for display of advertising literature in a substantially vertical orientation is provided. The rack is formed entirely from flat strips of metal which are pivotally joined for easy erection and take down. Fastening means are not required to maintain the rack in the open position.

United States Patent [1 1 Kulkey Nov. 4, 1975 FOLDABLE ADVERTISING LITERATURE DISPLAY RACK [76] Inventor: Richard E. Kulkey, 534 Thomas Ave., St. Paul, Minn. 55103 22 Filed: Sept. 13,1973

21 Appl. No; 397,088

[52] U.S. C1. 211/178; 211/50; 248/l88.6;

- 248/158 [51] Int. C1. A47F 5/10; A47F 7/00 [58] Field of Search 211/50, 178 R, 149, 85, 211/132; 248/188.6, 188.7, 158

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 541,309 6/1895 Bode 211/178 R 861,093 7/1907 Cordley 248/150 1,048,354 12/1912 Schmitt..... 211/178 R 1,713,667 5/1929 Leng 211/85 2,023,150 12/1935 Ritchie 211/50 2,315,595 4/1943 Chappory 211/149 X 2,745,557 5/1956 Martin et al. 211/50 2,846,078 8/1958 Shelby 248/150 UX 2,919,818 l/l960 Clegg et a1 211/178 2,919,878 1/1960 Nathan 248/188.7

Primary ExaminerPaul R. Gilliam Assistant ExaminerV. N. Sakran Attorney, Agent, or FirmSchroeder Siegfried Ryan & Vidas [57] ABSTRACT A foldable display rack for display of advertising literature in a substantially vertical orientation is provided. The rack is formed entirely from flat strips of metal which are pivotally joined for easy erection and take down. Fastening means are not required to maintain the rack in the open position.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 3,917,073

FOLDABLE ADVERTISING LITERATURE DISPLAY RACK The present invention is directed to advertising display racks and is more specifically directed to a display rack for advertising literature such as is commonly offered to the public at trade shows and the like in conjunction with display of merchandise.

In displaying goods for sale at such events it is customary to have brochures and single sheets of literature available for taking by the interested public to further consider the products being offered. Desirably, the literature should be placed so it readily catches the eye of the passerby. While one may merely have the literature lying flat on the counter, such an arrangement does not tend to catch the eye of the passer-by. Various types of permanent racks can be used to display the advertising literature, but the majority of these are bulky, expensive and heavy.

In accordance with the present invention, a display rack is provided which has multiple advantages of being lightweight, relatively inexpensive, attractive to the eye, obscures a-minimum of the literature being displayed and can be readily collapsed into a form adaptable to being carried in a briefcase or other portable small container.

The invention will be readily understood from a study of the specification and drawings wherein:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective. view of a display rack in accordance with the invention showing the rack in a set up position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the rack of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially folded rack in accordance with the invention showing one mode of folding;

FIG. 4 is a rack in accordance with the invention folded out into a single plane;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a rack of FIG. 1 including a modification thereof to hold smaller literature in conjunction with large literature.

Referring first to FIG. I there is shown a perspective view ofa rack in accordance with the invention. As can be seen, the rack is formed utilizing strips of material of the same width for all the parts. In the specific unit shown in FIG. 1 the material utilized is aluminum of 18 gauge thickness and having a width of A inch. Aluminum possesses many advantages for use in the rack of the invention, among which are its light weight, freedom from corrosion under ordinary environments and its general attractive finish without special treatment.

The rack shown in FIG. 1 is intended to hold standard size (8% X 11 inch) literature and includes a top rectangular portion 11 formed ofa single strip of metal so as to have a long front side 12 and an equal length rear side 13. The free ends of member 11 overlap one another substantially the entire length of back side 13 as illustrated and are joined to one another by means of rivots l4. Rivots 14 in addition to holding the two end portions of member 11 together also act as pivotal members for the leg portions of the assembly which will be described below. The overlapping of the ends of member 1 1 adds a significant amount of structural stiffening to the top assembly. The interior length of the rectangular frame 11 is slightly greater than 8% inches.

Positioned inwardly of each of the narrow end portions of member 11 are U-shaped leg members. These leg members as already noted are formed of the same strip stock of aluminum as is member 11. The leg portions consist of front legs 15 and 15' and rear legs 16 and 16 which are upward extending arms of flat bases 17 and 17. As can be best seen in FIG. 2, legs 16 and 16 are somewhat shorter than legs 15 and 15. Leg length is approximately 8 inches. It will be seen that legs 16 and 16' form an obtuse angle with respect to the base 17 of about 95. The purpose is to tend to tip the assembly rearwardly although such tendency is restrained by the stabilizer described below. The leg members are each joined to member 11 as shown by means of rivots 14, which as already pointed out also act at the rear portion to hold the overlapping ends of member 11 together. The rivots 14 are of any type which will permit pivoting of the leg members through an angle of at least 90 with respect to member 11 and desirably through substantially 360 rotation.

A stabilizer assembly extends rearwardly from each leg 16 and 16' and comprises identical triangularly configured strips 18 and 18'. Members 18 and 18' have been formed so as to have their free ends overlap throughout substantially the entire length of that portion of the triangle which abuts legs 16 and 16. This is best seen in FIG. 2. The base portion of triangle 18 is angled with respect to that portion joined to leg 16 so as to constitute an extension of the plane defined by base 17. The assembly is joined together by means of rivots 19. Alternatively, other joining means such as spot welding may be utilized to hold legs 16 and 16 to triangular members 18 and 18'.

It should now be clear to the reader that the assembly will stand in the open position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 without recourse to any additional bracing. When advertising literature is placed into the opening defined by member 11, legs 15 and 16 provide restraint against movement of the literature either forwardly or to the rear of the assembly. The angle that the literature has to the counter top (approximately places the center of gravity of the assembly so as to tend to tilt the assembly rearwardly. It is prevented from doing so by the presence of stabilizers I8 and 18'. There is thus little if any tendency for the literature to want to tip forward and the literature is restrained from tipping rearwardly by member IS. The end portions of member 11 suffice to keep the literature positioned within the overall assembly insofar as sideward movement is concerned.

The nature of the literature having a flat base obviates the necessity of any cross bracing to stiffen the assembly against sideward sway. While it is not necessary to do so, one may provide holes in the rear legs or in the outer surfaces of triangular member 18 through which crossing wire members 20 may be inserted in the manner shown in FIG. I. The embracing wire members 20 consist merely of a wire of heavy enough gauge to resist bending with the extreme end portions thereof bentat right angles so as to pass through holes 21. It is again emphasized that such additional stiffening is optional and is not required in order to have an operable apparatus.

A far simpler means of insuring the desired degree of stiffness is to apply rivots 14 with sufficient tightness as to give some degree of frictional resistance to pivotal rotation of legs 15 and 16 thereabout.

Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is illustrated two modes of folding of the apparatus of FIG. 1. In FIG. 3 leg 15 and its adjoining assembly has been rotated about rivots 14 in a clockwise direction through an angle of approximately 240 while leg 15 has been rotage of occupying a total length considerably longer than the folding mode of FIG. 3. Depending upon the needs of the user, each method of folding vantages.

Turning now to FIG. 5, there is shown in perspective view a modification of the apparatus of FIG. 1 so as to include a double display arrangement for simultaneous display of calling cards.Such cards are typically 2 X 2% inches. The main'unit shown in FIG. is identical to FIG. 1 and only that'portion of the unit necessary to show the additional -'feature has been included in the drawing. Therefore, in the drawing, like parts with FIG. 1 will be given the same numerical designation as'in FIG. 1.

A strip of metal 22 has been bent to form a rectangular configuration with the free ends of'member'22 overlapping and joined to one another by means of rivot l4 possesses adwhich now extends through the overlapped ends of member 22, through leg and through the forward arm of member 11. The overall interior length of the rectangle defined by 22 is slightly larger than 3% inches. As in the instance of the apparatus of FIG. 1, rivot l4 joins the various members together so that they are free to rotate with respect to one another. It should be noted that the free ends of strip 22 are overlapped and positioned forwardly of leg 15. Thus, leg 15 is free to rotate about member 11 with assembly including 22 being outwardly of leg 15. v i I A U-shaped' strip of metal 23 has one arm'thereof joined to the forward central portion of strip 22 by a rivot 14 with the rear arm of member 23 joined either directly to leg 15 or joined by rivot 14 to strip 22. Arm length is approximately 1% inches. The joining means at the forward arm of member 23 should be a fastener that permits rotation of meinber 23 with respect to member 22. As member 23 will pivot along with leg 15, it may be joined to leg 15 either by fixed or pivoting means.

It should now be apparent that the assembly as shown in FIG. 5 permits the same storage of relatively large literature within the cavity generally defined by member 11 while simultaneously allowing the display of an item such as a calling. card within the sub-assembly defined by members 22 and 23. Again, as in the instance of the apparatus of FIG. 1, the entire assembly can be folded in either mode as illustrated in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4.

What is claimed is:

l. A unitary, nondisassemblable foldable display rack for display of sheets of advertising literature in substantially vertical orientation comprising:

a. a first elongated, thin stripof rigid material, the free ends of said first strip permanently joined to-. geth'er with said joined strip formed into an elongated rectangle defining a literature receiving opening, the long sides of said rectangle defining,

the front and back sides respectively and the short sides the ends of said rectangle;

second and third elongated thin strips ofrigid material formed to define two sets of generally U- shaped leg members which; extend transversely to .the plane of, said rectangle when said displayrack is in an operational position the freeends of each of set of arms of said U-shaped leg members pivotally and permanently joined to the outer surfaces of the front and back sides of saidrectangle inwardlyof Wsaid rectangle ends,, the rear leg members being shorter than said front leg members, the base of said U-shapedmembers being flat and forming an obtuse angle with said rear legs the length of said U-shaped leg members and the opening defined by said U-shaped membersbeing of sufficientsize to permit rotation of each of. vsaid .leg ,members through at least with respect to said rectangle,

and c. stabilizing means, said stabilizing means comprising two triangularly shaped thin strips of rigid .ma-.

terial each respectively permanently joined. to and extendingrearwardly from one of saidrear legs, the

base of said triangularly shaped strips, aligned with respect to the base of said U-shaped leg members each of said triangularly shaped strips coextensive with a major portion of the lengthof said rear leg members. 2. A rack in accordance with claim 1 wherein the,.free ends ofsaid first strip overlap one another at'the rear side of said rectangle for the major portion of the length of said rear side. Y I 3. A rack in accordance with claim 1 wherein the triangularly shaped stabilizing means are formed of fourth and fifth elongated strips of rigid material, the free ends of said strips joined to and overlapping one anotherto form the legs of said triangles which are joined to the rear leg members. 1

4. A rack in accordance with claim 3 wherein a sixth 1 strip of rigid material has the free ends thereof joined together and is formed into a second rectangle of a length less than. one-half the length of said elongated rectangle, said second rectangle joined at the midpoint of a long side thereof to the upper portion of one of the forward legs of said U-shaped leg members, and a shal-. low U-shaped member, the upper ends of the arms of said shallow U-shaped member each ,pivotally joined to. the midpoints of the opposing long sides of said second rectangle respectively.

to be in the same planetherewith'and-one leg of 

2. A rack in accordance with claim 1 wherein the free ends of said first strip overlap one another at the rear side of said rectangle for the major portion of the length of said rear side.
 3. A rack in accordance with claim 1 wherein the triangularly shaped stabilizing means are formed of fourth and fifth elongated strips of rigid material, the free ends of said strips joined to and overlapping one another to form the legs of said triangles which are joined to the rear leg members.
 4. A rack in accordance with claim 3 wherein a sixth strip of rigid material has the free ends thereof joined together and is formed into a second rectangle of a length less than one-half the length of said elongated rectangle, said second rectangle joined at the midpoint of a long side thereof to the upper portion of one of the forward legs of said U-shaped leg members, and a shallow U-shaped member, the upper ends of the arms of said shallow U-shaped member each pivotally joined to the midpoints of the opposing long sides of said second rectangle respectively. 